Aging: We Are The “They”

Can’t seem to let go of the Aging Avatar vision! Your “Me Now” face of 50 suddenly becomes your “Me Later” at 75. Often over the last few years, those of us of the “Me Now” have measured our own aging to some extent, through the process of taking care of our elder parents or friends as they have transitioned from their “home sweet home” independence to some form of institutional dependency.

Have we listened to the way we talk as we share the emotional angst of the experience? After several spates of story telling with dozens of others about the strain of waiting around on hospital trips, endless worries about medication mess ups and keeping a vigilant eye on the state of affairs in long term care facilities – it suddenly arrested my attention one day – it’s always about the “They”.

“When They get to that stage They always parade down to dinner early because They need to get ready for bed early.” OR, these timeless classics, “They spend so much time sleeping. They are on so many meds. They keep the heat up so high, it’s suffocating when you visit.”

Are we the “they”.? Are we, (hands up) the “Me Now” – somehow guilty of unintentional disconnection ?

If we are the “Me Later”, then perhaps the next time we chat about our elders as if they were somehow a different species, we should switch on the aging avatar – the latest new app for the “Me Now” generation.